Architectural evolution

of Gujarat
GROUP MEMBERS:
1. AAROONI THAKUR
2. NIDHI JAIN
3. ISHIKA AGARWAL SUBMITTED TO:
4. ESHNA SINGH AR. AJAY PAL
Architectural legacy
Mohenjo-Daro and Lothal to modernism and Le Corbusier, the architectural legacy
of Gujarat spans across the civilizations. Millennia apart, they stand in testimony of
their progressive outlook and avant grade attitude. Plethora of architectural
edifices such as temples, mosques, mausoleums, forts, gateways, palaces,
residential precincts, step wells or the civic institutions manifest this dynamic process
of style updating- of blending traditional wisdom with contemporary know-how.
May it be an ideological fusion of Jain and Hindu idioms in temple architecture, or
form transformations of wooden technology in to stone architecture, or a synthesis
of Hindu craftsmanship with Islamic forms in Indo-Saracenic architecture, or the
combination of European space conceptions with Indian elements in colonial
architecture, the eclecticism was inevitable but it was mature and pleasing as
emulation and assimilation of newer thoughts were creatively regionalized. With,
remains of Hadappan civilizations, vernacular forms of desert settlements of Kutch,
unique manifestations of water architecture, forts and ramparts of medieval
defense camps, peculiar expressions of sultanate styles, mature representations of
classical temple architecture, creative progressivism of the modern architecture
and the imaginative explorations of the contemporary, Gujarat remains the most
enriching destination in architectural tourism.
Ahmedabad
Moghal era
Unique are innumerable examples of Muslim faith from Sultanate phase,
dotting the cross-cultural landscape of Gujarat. Set against the artificially
created tank the domes and arches of mosques and balconies and
chhajas of the recreational pavilions create interesting silhouette and
dynamic relationship between various spaces and functions. Mosque of
Rani Sipri in Ahmedabad signify the harmonious assemblage of Islamic,
Hindu and vernacular elements of space making. Its richly carved stone
jalis, elegantly proportioned spires, floral and geometric patterns of stone
wall renderings along with the traditional zarokhas of the domestic
architecture lend it the contextual fit, evoking a sense of belonging.
Window traceries and stone jalis at the Sidi Saiyed’s mosque has remained
the epitome of Indian skills, craftsmanship and aesthetic sensibilities. The
magic of shaking minarets and marvel of its engineering feat still remains
unparalleled.
Mosque of Rani Sipri
Jama masjid
Sidi Saiyed’s Mosque
Carving Details
Division of the city

The diverse castes were distributed according to a fixed pattern. The

traders and financiers occupied the central part, the lowest caste of
artisans stayed on the periphery and the others in-between. The
political authority, the Muslims, occupied a corner of the town and
Hindus and Jains, a small portion of the centre. The castes and religious
communities built their settlements in their respective areas according
to their own architectural tradition, and these inevitably resembled the
rural pattern. Thus, the walled city of Ahmedabad was composed of
wards in which there were large groupings of khadkis and pols
resembling a village. The maze of narrow winding lanes which
characterized a village was repeated in each enclave.
The “Pols”
The word 'Pol' is derived from a Sanskrit word 'Pratoli' . The 'Pols' were known as 'Pada'
in the Solanki period. It is said that when Sultan Ahmed Shah found the city, he stayed
in the pol in the beginning. This pol was known as 'Mahurat Pol', which is now in
Manekchowk. The construction of new pols continued and even increased during -
Maratha Rule. Many pols were constructed during the years 1760 to 1818. The number
of pols constructed during this time was 360. The city has many big and small pols
ranging from six house pol (Ghar-ni-Pol) to pols having about 3,000 houses (a big
settlement). The biggest pol of Ahmedabad is known as Mandavi-ni-pol. At present,
there are about 60,000 houses in 600 pols of Ahmedabad. The pols have big entry
gates. At the time of difficulty, people used to employ watchman. His residence used
to be in the Madh of the pol. Some pols are so narrow that you can easily shake
hands from your house with the people living in the opposite house. There are many
such pols where you can go from one pol to another pol very easily.
Urban houses
In an urban house of the walled city of Ahmedabad the three basic
subdivisions of spaces (otlo, parsal and ordo) were retained. However, certain
additions and modifications were now made because of new functions, such
as trade and business activities. As a consequence of trade, manufacture and
artisanship, clients who were strangers would visit the residence to do business,
which was not a case with rural residences. The stranger had to be given
access and at the same time privacy of the family members had to be
maintained. This new circumstance necessitated a change in the house plan.
In addition to these basic units, a new unit was introduced. This consisted of a
single room with its own front. Veranda or otlo faced the common space of
the khadki which now assumed the function of a lane. The new layout had six
parts in all: the three part basic unit at the back, the central courtyard, the
chowk, and the new two-part front unit. The new unit was also called khadki,
because it functioned like village gateway – as a barrier to halt strangers and
to maintain distances them from the women. The chowk and parsal are the
peculiarities of the houses of the pol. There is a central hall-orada where you
can find Paniyara (Matka Stand). In the Parsal there is a place where the
housewife can cook in sitting position. There was a provision for chimney
(Dhumadiyu) over the fireplace (Chulha) as outlet for smoke of the kitchen.
Then you can see a big room with two small ventilators.
Stepwells

Adalaj Stepwell is a unique Hindu ‘water building’ in the village of Adalaj,

close to Ahmedabad. The stepwell was built in 1499 by Muslim king
Mohammed Begda for Queen Rani Roopba, wife of Veer Singh,
the Vaghela chieftain. The step well or ‘Vav’, as it is called in Gujarati, is
intricately carved and is five stories in depth. Such step wells were once
integral to the semi-arid regions of Gujarat as they provided basic water
needs for drinking, washing and bathing. These wells were also venues for
colourful festivals and sacred rituals.
Contemporary Architecture

French maestro Le Corbusier was invited to design institutions for culture

and industries along with the private residences. Ahmedabad Mill Owners’
Association building, Sanskar Kendra, Sarabhai and Shodhan houses are
the examples of the cubist modern style characterized by: extensive use of
reinforced cement concrete as principal building material, austere
facades with reduced or no ornamentation; simplicity and clarity of
structural elements; and use of natural finishes of the construction material
as a form of decoration have set a new architectural trend and put
Ahmedabad on the world map of contemporary architecture. The Indian
Institute of Management designed by Louis Kahn, yet another landmark by
an internationally renowned American architect, derives its aesthetics out
of the most ingenious use of brick in its purest and structural form, using the
local construction skills and material.
IIM Ahmedabad
Shodhan and Sarabhai Residence
The Sanskar Kendra
The Mill Owner’s Association Building
Vadodra
Overview of the City

On the banks of the Vishwamitri River, Vadodara brims with heritage. The
enduring architecture from India’s medieval and modern periods is testimony to
the progressiveness of the city’s various rulers, particularly while it was the capital
of the erstwhile princely state of Baroda. The city passed through the hands of the
Gupta, Rashtrakuta, and Solanki dynasties, was held by the Sultans of Delhi and
Gujarat, and then the Mughals, before finally being claimed by the Marathas of
the Gaekwad dynasty in the 1720s. The legacy of the Gaekwad rulers was firmly
established by the popular and visionary ruler Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III
(1875-1939), who transformed Baroda into an educational, industrial, and
commercial centre with thriving art and architecture. Vadodara is crammed with
landmarks from this period, such as libraries, hospitals, and museums, which are a
reminder of the dynasty’s institution-building prowess. It also has a cluttered
walled city, historically known as Kila-e-Daulatabad, now referred to as Old
Baroda. Here, medieval bazaars, shrines, and century-old tenements can be
found in the labyrinthine lanes. Beyond these walls, old-style bungalows and small
houses still remain despite the newer high-rises.
Lukshmi niwas palace
Baroda museum
Walled city
The city’s original walls have disappeared, but its four imposing gates, one
for each cardinal direction, radiating out from the Mandvi Gate, still exist.
The Champaner, Gendi, Laheripura, and Pani gates reflect a blend of
Islamic and Maratha architecture. The triangular projection jutting out of
the main arch of Pani gate is an iconic symbol of the city; Barodians call it
“Baroda nu naak,” implying “Baroda’s honour.” We turn into a narrow lane
where the past seems preserved in compact tenements supported by
carved Burmese pillars with iron oil lamp holders, doors, window grills, and
jharokhas. Each pol, or cluster of houses with a common entrance through
one lane, was named after a specific caste, trade, or landmark. In one of
the pols is the Narsinhji temple, where the old city still celebrates the 275-
year-old traditional procession of “Narsinhji no varghodo,” which
celebrates the marriage of Vishnu’s avatar to Tulsi on the 12th day after
Diwali. It is a haveli and not a typical temple. At the Govardhan Nathji
Haveli, I spot a 50-year-old Pichvai painting depicting the Raaslila.
OLD CITY HOUSING IMPORTANT FEATURES

 POL : Linear housing cluster housing the population of same caste or

occupation, with one or two entrances connecting from artery to
branch.
 SHERI : Secondary street originating from a pol.
 KHANCHO : Short street originating from a pol or sheri ending in a dead
end like Shahsti no Khancho, Kuber Chand no Khancho.
 CHOWK : Large open space seen at the meeting points of streets or in
between a street by widening s section to create an alcove in the
linear space.
 KHADKI : Cluster of building units around a common open space with
a common entrance from Pol, Sheri or Khancho.
 GALI : Narrow street separate from a Pol or branching from a Pol.
Old city housing
COURTYARD HOUSES:
 A response to the tropical climate the courtyard houses have evolved in numerous
domestic spatial setups with variations in scale, size, orientation and position.
 This courtyard acts as thermal barrier maintaining temperature inside the house and
provides natural light to areas surrounding it.
HAVELI HOUSES
 A form of courtyard house but also an expression of opulence and status, affluence and
power – a haveli was rich with ornamentation and decoration exploring aesthetics at
high level. It expressed the rich lifestyle of its occupants.
KHADKI HOUSES
 It is a cluster of houses or residential setup defined by single entry and a common open
to sky courtyard. Originally meant for large family, these days, the houses are occupied
by families of different culture and strata.
Kutch
The Bhunga Houses
The Bhonga is a traditional construction
type in the Kutch district of the Gujarat
state in India, which has a very high
earthquake risk. A Bhonga consists of a
single cylindrically shaped room. The
Bhonga has a conical roof supported by
cylindrical walls. Bhonga construction has
existed for several hundred years. This
type of house is quite durable and
appropriate for prevalent desert
conditions. Due to its robustness against
natural hazards as well as its pleasant
aesthetics, this housing is also known as
"Architecture without Architects.“
Construction details

Bhonga is circular in plan, with cylindrically shaped walls and topped

with conical roof. The inner diameter of the Bhonga is typically
between 3m to 6m. A Bhonga generally has only three openings one
door and two small windows. During earth quakes it performed very
well in the recent M7.6 Bhuj earthquake in 2001. Very few Bhongas
experienced significant damage in the epicentral region, and the
damage that did occur can be mainly attributed to poor quality of the
construction materials or improper maintenance of the structure. It has
also been observed that the failure of Bhongas in the last earthquake
caused very few injuries to the occupants due to the type of collapse.
Roof Construction

The conical roof of a Bhonga is supported at its crest by a vertical

central wooden post, which rests on a wooden joist. The base of the
roof and the wooden joist are generally directly supported on Bhonga
walls. Sometimes, the roof load on wooden joist is transferred to
diametrically placed timber posts (vertical members) adjacent to the
cylindrical wall.This reduces the roof-load on the walls. The Bhonga wall
is usually extended below ground up to the required foundation depth,
and separate foundation is not traditionally constructed. In newer
constructions, proper strip footing is also used.
Wall construction
Due to circular shape of wall in plan, inertial forces developed addition, the
thick walls required for thermal insulation have high in-plane stiffness which
provides excellent performance under lateral loads. The roofing in wall are
resisted through shell action providing excellent resistance to lateral forces.
In materials are generally very light weight, and develops low inertia forces.
Since the roof is constructed from extremely ductile materials such as
bamboo and straw, the performance of.these roofs is usually very robust
NEW TYPES OF BHUNGAS
Recent Bhongas constructions have used wide variety of construction
materials. These include the stone or burnt brick masonry either in mud
mortar or in cement mortar. Traditional roof consists of light-weight conical
roof, while some recent constructions have used heavy manglore tiles on
roofs. Some recent constructions have used circular strip footing below the
wall, while traditional construction simply extended the walls below ground
level t.
Construction details
In several Bhongas, the roof joist is not directly supported on the cylindrical walls,
but issupported by two wooden vertical posts outside the Bhonga, which further
improves seismicresistance of the inertia force generated in the roof.
• In some instances, reinforcing bands at lintel level and collar level have been
used to provideadditional strength.
• These bands are constructed from bamboo or from RCC. These increase the
lateral load-carryingstrength greatly and increase the seismic resistance of the
Bhongas.
•Even in situations where the roof collapses, its low weight ensures that the extent
of injuries tooccupants is very low.
•Labours who constructs Bhungas and materials used
•These constructions are carried out by local village masons.
• The locally available soft stone can easily be cut or chiselled into rectangular
blocks, which areused for wall masonry.
•The local soil is used for mud mortar and to make adobe blocks. Locally available
timber andbamboo are used for roof.
The entire construction process, which is carried out by the mason with
very few unskilledlaborers, can be completed within 30 days.
• The construction of this type of housing takes place in a single phase.
• Typically, the building is originally designed for its final constructed
size.
• Bhongas are never "designed" in the modern context. However,
Bhonga architecture is a veryunique aspect of traditional desert
architecture of Kutch region in which the size, location andorientation
of the Bhonga are planned for very good structural and functional
results.